Protecting the Weak
by SolemnSerpent
Summary: Fanfiction Request by T-Virus Rose. Infected x survivor pairing. Rated M for violence/gore. Reviews make SS a happy Hunter. Completed, sorry.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is a fanfiction written by me for T-Virus Rose, who requested it. I'm very shy and haven't entered this realm of fanfiction before. XD I always love helpful reviews and ideas for future chapters. This here is a survivor x infected shipping, and it's my first attempt at romance. I hope to have the next few chapters up after testing the waters here. Thanks for reading!**

**~x~  
**

**Prologue- Destined to Meet**

Hard, cold rain poured down from the grey skies, nearly muffling the cries and screams as the city below went to hell. Fires were started, only to be extinguished by the rain and leave behind great clouds of smoke. This city was infected; the people were rising up as mindless drones, intent on devouring human flesh. Of course, there were other infected, ones with special abilities. Hunter. Boomer. Tank. Smoker. Spitter. Jockey. Witch. Charger. These names were unknown as of yet, but the survivors who managed to escape the hellhole of a city would learn to fear these names.

I growled savagely at the sight of the hospital ahead of me, surrounded by hundreds of the infected. I could barely remember anything from _before._ Before the feeling of teeth tearing into my left arm... Wait. I remembered a name. Tristan. _Is it mine?_ What does it matter, anyway? Hunger clawed at my stomach, reminding me of my purpose. I must hunt. I must kill. But still, I don't move, and instead remain perched on a corner of a two-story building, soaking in the rain. I rolled back my left sleeve and stare down at the bite mark on my left wrist. One of the sick ones did it, this I know. I rolled the sleeve back and stared into the distance at the looming, dark building of Mercy Hospital. The rain barely bothered me; my jacket kept me safe and warm. No, my focus was drawn to the sound of gunfire and screams. A primal part of me told me to jump, to pounce, to _scream_. My legs tensed up underneath me, and then I was propelled upward by the explosion of energy. Instinctively I let out a long, loud screech that echoed through the city. It felt so _good_. I let loose another screech, reveling in my freedom. The primal feeling told me to hunt, to kill, to enjoy the feeling of my claws ripping through soft, human flesh..._WAIT! No, no, that's not what I want! I don't want to kill anyone!_ The thought startled me in the midst of my jump, and I tumbled down onto the roof of another building, panting heavily. No, this wasn't right. I wasn't a monster; I couldn't kill another person!

I stared down at my wet hands, covering in rainwater. The skin was a sickly grey color, and my fingernails had hardened and elongated, becoming sharp, vicious claws. My toenails were the same, protruding out of my shoes. I quickly took off the shoes and flung them away without a second thought, focusing on my body. There were strange bumps and bruises everywhere, following the grey, sickly skin that now covered every part of me. There was a puddle nearby, so I crawled towards it, opting to move on all fours. What I saw in the puddle scared me. My eyes were huge and a yellowish-white color; to another person I would appear blind. Cracked, reddish scabs circled my eyelids, further accenting my blindness. And my mouth... It was full of elongated teeth, all of them serrated and sharp, designed to shear meat straight of the bones. Turning away from the puddle, my stomach heaved and I threw up. Since there was nothing in my stomach, all I threw up was a disgusting yellow bile. After the ordeal was done I wiped my mouth on my jacket sleeve, still feeling sick. But what to do? I stared down at my claws, flexing them experimentally. I no longer looked human. Could I still speak? I opened my mouth quickly, and tried to form the word 'Hello'. All I heard was a long, drawn out growl. Frustrated, I tried again, only to have the same result. _Why can't I speak?_

The gunshots were closer now, and the screams louder. My head shot up instinctively. My stomach growled again, reminding me of my hunger. What could I eat? Again, my primal instincts forced a picture into my mind, the sight of my new claws tearing into flesh... But my mind rejected it immediately. _EAT humans? NEVER!_ But then, what could I eat? Suddenly, my nostrils flared, and I turned around. I could smell a human; female. She was close, closer than those gunshots... I began to salivate, drool coming from the corners of my mouth. Soundlessly I crept to the edge of the building I was on, and I looked down. There she was!  
The woman was some sort of doctor; the white lab-coat was a dead giveaway. For a moment I wondered how she had managed to leave Mercy Hospital without being attacked by the hundreds of infected. She was wielding a fire ax, which was already soaked through with blood and gore. Her hands were bleeding from wielding the weapon, and the blood smelled delicious. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve to get rid of the drool, but I was so hungry... She was exhausted and alone, like a frightened rabbit. She was easy prey. I tensed, forgetting my vow not to eat humans, ready to spring.

_'RAWR!'_

The sound of another screech brought me out of my hunger craze. I looked to the entrance of the alleyway to see another Hunter lunging for the woman, who was helplessly backed into a corner. Instinct took over. Shrieking loudly, I pounced right on top of the Hunter's back, throwing off course and slamming it in the ground. Blind, seething rage took over, and I started to slash at the Hunter's back, ignoring its angry hisses and useless struggling. The woman was mine. _MINE!_ I easily ripped open the skin, ignoring the Hunter's scream of pain, driven now by angry bloodlust and hunger. But it wasn't enough. I had to stop the prey's annoying cries. I plunged my claws into its back, silencing it with one blow. I withdrew my gore-splattered hand, satisfied that I had proved my claim over the woman. I looked up at her now, huddling in the back corner of the alley, horror etched into her panic-stricken face, the ax laying useless by her side. My attention was drawn back to the corpse of the Hunter as my stomach growled loudly, and I shrugged. I bent my head down and began to eat.

Minutes later, and my hunger was satisfied. I chewed on the last bit of a bloody entrail, and then swallowed it in one gulp. The Hunter's lifeblood stained my jacket, face, hands, and my teeth, giving me the image of a monster out of a nightmare. I pushed the Hunter's carcass to the side, crawling up to the woman. My mind was a little blank, stunned by what I had done. I had eaten an infected; another Hunter, no less. But still... _It's better than eating a human, right? I won't have to kill that woman..._ I sat on my haunches a few feet from the woman, waiting for her to react. From the look on her face, she assumed that she was going to be killed next. The primal Hunter inside of my mind screamed for me to pounce, to sink my claws into her flesh and relish in the pleasure of killing... _I can't kill another human. I just... can't._ And that was a fact. Instead, I felt a bizarre, overwhelming desire to **protect** this woman. Why was that? I kept staring at her for a moment, unsure of what to do.

_'Are you going to kill me?'_

I froze for a moment, staring up at the woman. Had she really said that? I shook my head at her, and her eyes widened. I padded over to her on all fours, and gripped the handle of the fire ax in my teeth. She needed a weapon if she was going to survive. Yes, that was it! She needed to survive! I picked up the ax and dropped it into her lap, ignoring her surprised gasp. _I may be an infected, but at least I don't have to act like one._ I nudged her hand with my head, placing it over the handle of the fire ax. Hesitantly she grabbed it with both hands and stood up shakily. I nodded at her; this was good. I turned and headed towards the entrance of the alleyway. When I didn't hear her footsteps I looked back around to the woman. She was still standing there, holding onto the fire ax. I made a beckoning movement with one hand that was clear; she was to follow me. The woman looked at me in surprise, but didn't move. I ambled back over and grabbed the sleeve of her labcoat with one hand and tugged gently. The woman finally started to walk, and I gently led her out of the alleyway. She was not safe alone. I had to lead her to where the gunshots were sounding. She would be safe with other survivors. And so I gently led her down the deserted street, hoping that this woman would survive long enough in her traumatized state.


	2. Guardian Angel

**Author's Note: Agh. I'm sorry this chapter is so short. The next one will be longer, I promise. **

**~x~**

**Chapter 1-Guardian Angel**

I was nervous. The woman was extremely weak already, probably from having to escape a infected hospital with nothing but a fire ax, and she was slow. Already I had to slash down infected people for her. It was all she could do to hold onto that fire ax. I kept nudging her, gently goading her on. The gunshots were close, and I was pretty sure I could hear the sound of a car engine starting up. Voices were beginning to distinguish themselves from the background noise of gunfire.

_'What were those assholes thinking; taking the last evacuation helicopter from Mercy Hospital. They weren't the ones who had been waiting up there for a day and a half, fighting off all those infected while terrified a Charger was going to ram us off the roof!'_

This was a woman's voice, which was followed by a loud grunt from a male. So there were at least two survivors, maybe more. I whimpered softly and gently pulled the woman down the alleyway, which was thankfully clear of any infected. From the wounds present on every corpse, I could tell the survivors had passed through here. At the sight of the corpses, the woman leaned heavily against the wall and began to retch. I left go of her lab coat and let her throw up her stomach's contents, hesitantly patting her on the back as she did so. My touch left a bloody handprint on the back of her labcoat, but she didn't notice.

_'Thanks.'_

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she sounded hoarse. _It's because she was screaming earlier. She's going to need some water or something._ A small feeling of panic settled in my chest. How was I supposed to take care of her? Everything would be a waste if the woman starved to death or died of dehydration! _I hope the survivors have supplies..._ Once the woman stopped leaning against the wall I nudged the back of her legs, urging her on. The woman looked down at me with beautiful, green eyes that filled me with warmth. And then she took a few shaky steps forward with me at her her heels. We had to hurry. Those survivors wouldn't wait forever. As soon as the infected in this area were cleared out, they were going to leave using a vehicle of some sort. I scuttled forward and peered out of the alleyway, hidden in the shadows. The survivors were all clad in various pieces of clothing, sullied with mud, blood, and urine. There were three males and a girl, varying in age. The oldest seemed to be the female, while the youngest was barely an adult. It seemed that they were having a rough time, and as the woman stumbled out of the alleyway, they aimed their weapons at her. _Firesticks!_ I crouched from where I was hiding; the firesticks could fire their little black rocks faster than I could pounce and would tear the woman to shreds.

_'Wait! I'm not infected! I'm a doctor from Mercy Hospital! Please, take me with you!'_

The woman's cry startled the survivors for a moment, and then they lowered their firesticks. I let out a silent breath, relieved. I could not defend the woman from the rocks of the firesticks, but now the survivors would not hurt one of their own.

_A doctor? I thought they all died when Mercy Hospital was overrun. But hey, I'm not complaining. Hop aboard!_

It was the same woman who spoke again. I recognized her voice from the first time I had heard her. She had long, brown hair that was tightly braided behind her back, crusted in blood. Her eyes were a piercing light blue color, and she was covered from head to toe in dirt and blood. She carried a small pistol in one hand and what looked like a katana in the other. She seemed to be the leader of the group. She pointed towards a truck that was parked right behind the survivors; the truck was huge and had a truck bed in the back that would be large enough to carry all four survivors. There was a large firestick placed on the back, probably for protection. There was enough space underneath the truck for me to hang without hitting the road or being seen. Perfect. I could watch the woman that way. As the survivors helped the woman into the back of the truck, I leaped out from the alleyway and flew right over the truck, remaining dead silent all the while. My primal instincts warned me about those firesticks, and I knew what they could do. I had no desire to get shot full of holes by the little black rocks. I lowered myself onto my stomach and inched forward, barely daring to breath. The scent of the survivors was overwhelming, and panic rose up inside of my as each movement brought me closer and closer to the large metal machine. As I passed under the vehicle, the sound of the engine starting up scared me. The tires were made to withstand cross country terrain; no doubt that they could crush me easily. Having no desire to be run over, I finished crawling under the truck and made my way to the back. I was directly underneath where the woman was; I could smell her scent right above me. I quickly reached up and found a pipe to hoist myself up onto; this way I wouldn't have to hang underneath the entire journey and risk falling off. It was uncomfortable; the space was very, very small, and the gas fumes made my head reel in dizziness. Even with the pounding rain, the entire bottom of the truck was starting to heat up due to the engine. I squeezed my eyes shut and held onto the pipe for dear life as the truck started to move. iIs the woman really worth all this effort?/i Yes, she was. It was my duty to look after her. I was her guardian angel.


	3. Recognition

**Author's Note:**

**Chapter 2-Recognition**

I dropped down from the truck, my muscles aching with pain. Every muscle in my body was cramped and sore from gripping that pipe for two hours. I was exhausted, but I needed to find a place to hide from the survivors and watch from afar. I could smell the multitude of infected in this area. The survivors would be attacked sometime in the night. Despite the heavy storm clouds overhead my internal clock informed me that nightfall was approaching. At night, I would be able to see, but the woman would be vulnerable. I had to protect the woman, even at the cost of my life. I could not explain the unknown force that urged me to protect the woman with my life; it was something deeply ingrained within my being. The desire to protect was overwhelming; I could not resist it. I crawled out from underneath the truck, remaining dead silence as I took in my surroundings. We were at the edge of a large, dark forest in the remains of a small town. The truck was stationed in the parking lot of an elementary school. The school was dark and deserted; half of the building was collapsed and the other half had the windows broken out, all the way up to the second floor. A faded sign hung from the second story, the words painted in bright red: _INFECTED HERE STAY AWAY_.

It looked like the survivors planned to stay here for the night, so I started to crawl towards the abandoned school building before raised voices behind me startled me into hiding underneath the truck again. The woman was watching as the other survivors squabbled over the small amount of medical supplies she had provided them. I watched her silently, worried. Was she alright? She looked hungry and thirsty.  
A few minutes later, the other survivors slowly walked off, heading over to the school building with backpacks full of supplies. As I watched, one of their backpacks opened up, and a bottle of water fell to the ground. Engrossed in their conversation, none of the survivors noticed. I darted forward and clamped the water bottle between my teeth, all the while keeping agonizingly silent so as not to alert the survivors. I backed up slowly, barely daring to move faster than a crawl as I tried not to make any sudden movements that would catch the survivors' eyes. Back under the truck, I slowly crawled towards the woman, bearing the water bottle. The woman froze as I slowly crawled out from under the hood, and she opened her mouth as if to scream. And then I saw the flicker of recognition in her eyes as she took in my blood-soaked hoodie and claws.

_'It's you!'_

Her voice was barely above a whisper, to avoid attracting the attention of the survivors. I nodded eagerly, and then dropped the bottle of water onto the ground and nudged it towards her. She looked down at it with a mingled expression of gratitude and surprise.

_'Thank you...'_

I gave a low purr as she picked up the bottle of water and took a swig from it, eagerly drinking half the bottle in one gulp. Good. She wouldn't be thirsty anymore. I could take care of feeding her later, when the other survivors were asleep. The woman reached forward slowly and patted me on the head awkwardly, unsure of what she should do.

_'You're my little guardian angel. I think I should give you a name...'_

I nodded at her, thoughtful. I had a name. Tristan. But how could I tell her? I gave a small bark at her words, eyeing her. What would she name me? I wanted to be called something! The woman paused for a few moments, thoughtful, and then reached into her own backpack to pull out... pink duct tape.

_'Just stay still, okay? I need to find a way to recognize you from the other Hunters.'_

I whined anxiously as the woman strapped the duct tape over my dark grey hoodie, but otherwise remained completely still. Soon, both my pants and my jacket were taped up in pink duct tape. The woman clapped her hands together, joy showing on her face. I growled lightly, unsure what to do. I sniffed at the bright pink duct tape, curious. It smelled like the woman, and I huffed happily. That was good enough.

_'I think I will call you... Tristan. You see... the last patient I had at the hospital before it was overrun was a young boy named Tristan. He was very kind to me, but he was attacked before we could escape. He looked just about your age..._

The woman paused in her talk, staring at me intently. Carefully she knelt down and stretched her hands toward my hood, moving slowly and cautiously; she didn't want to startle me. I growled softly, but let her pull off my hood. It was dark, so it was safe to remove my coverings. I shook my head softly when she finally pulled off my hood, and stared up into the beautiful green eyes of the woman. She looked scared and sad at the same time.

_'So it is you, Tristan. Thank you. Thank you so much.'_

I could not understand the last part of what she said, but I assumed that she was thanking me. I gave a low purr, and butted my head on her shoulder. She gave a small, sad smile and petted my hair, which felt nice. I purred again, which turned into a startled hiss as a survivor gave a loud shout that caused the woman to stand up and call back. She gave a small wave goodbye as she started walking towards the survivor, but I was no longer there. Instead, I had dived underneath the truck again. In the shadows, I drew up my hood again, feeling safe as the covering shielded my eyes. Night was falling, and from the look of the sky, it was going to rain again soon. I had to get to the school building before long. The infected would wander freely at night, and undoubtedly some would wander into the school building. I had to stay near the woman in order to guard her.  
And then the screams sounded in the distance along with the bellowing of something large.

_'TANK! THERE'S A TANK NEARBY!'_

_'EVERYBODY INTO THE TRUCK! We're out of here!'_


	4. Lethal Combat

**Chapter 3-Lethal Combat**

The roars of the Tank in the distance caused a shiver to run down my spine. Picking a fight with a 'Behemoth' was not wise; every Hunter knew this. They were too large, too strong, even if they were slow and dull-witted. The truck roared to life, and I tensed. The survivors were panicking! I hissed quietly, every muscle in my body coiled up, ready to leap and flee. For a moment, I almost forgot my purpose. _The female!_ I had to protect her, that was the purpose of my existence. The sound of the Tank's cries were even closer; it would be upon us in seconds. Lightning flashed across the stormy sky, momentarily illuminating the school building and the surrounding parking lot. And then I heard an object whistling through the air. Following my instincts, I darted out from underneath the truck and leaped onto the top of the school building in a matter of seconds. I immediately regretted my actions, because the car that the Tank threw had smashed into the truck. The truck was blasted backwards, slamming into the school building and then overturned. I whined loudly, panicking. Was the woman dead? Was she dead? Had I failed my purpose? _Ohnononononononothisisbadbad._ I started to howl my misery to the skies as fat raindrops started to fall from the sky. Lightning flashed, and I was momentarily blinded. When my eyesight returned, I spotted the lumbering beast in the parking lot. It was the Behemoth! It had come to finish off it's prey. A deep, burning rage rose in my chest, and I tore at the building below my claws, eager to fight the lumbering infected. It had hurt the woman! _KILL! KILL! KILL! I MUST KILL! Anyone who hurts the female must DIE!_

I reacted without thinking; my body leaped off the building and I landed squarely on the Tank's back, digging my hind claws in deeply. Consumed in a blind rage, I started slashing randomly, blood seeping from the torn skin. The Behemoth bellowed; my attacks had angered it. It twisted underneath me, trying to throw me off, but I dug my claws in deeper, puncturing the hard skin. Reddish-black blood seeped from the puncture wounds, making the Tank's back slick with it's own blood. Bellowing, the monstrous infected lifted one giant fist and pounded it into my back. I heard something crack, and my back was suddenly in pain. Surprised by the pain, I lost my grip for a moment. The Tank took advantage of that and shook me off, sending me flying back about twenty feet. I cracked my head on the cement of the parking lot, and bright lights flashed behind my eyes. I felt something warm in my mouth, and I quickly spat out a glob of blood and sat up. The Tank looked like it was about to charge me, and my vision was blurring...

I struggled to clear my head while the behemoth ran headlong at me, letting out a loud bellow that rattled in my eardrums. All I could do was rise shakily to my feet before two tons of solid mass smashed into me. I let out a high-pitched scream of pain as I collided with the side of the school building, and my vision went black. The pain, the pain! It was so painful! Gravity pulled me to the ground and there was something wet and warm on my cheek. Momentarily paralyzed by the impact, I gasped with the immense amount of pain I was feeling; enough pain to bring tears to my eyes. Everything hurt. For a moment, I considered letting my mind go blank and let the pain swallow me...

_The female. Revenge._ Yes, that was it. I had to kill the monster that had dared to hurt the female... My eyes snapped open, and I spat out a fragment of a tooth. I couldn't feel my right arm, and when I looked I saw it was bent at a unnatural angle. The back of my jacket was shredded and bloody, and so were my pants. Everything hurt, but I had to get back up. Otherwise, the Tank would finish me off. I had to stay alive; I had to protect the female. My eyes wandered towards the overturned truck, unsure of what to do. A flicker of movement caught my attention. There were people moving under there! _The female is alive! Have to protect her!_

I focused my attention back to the Tank, who was lumbering slowly towards the truck. I let out a hunting shriek to attract it's attention; I was challenging it. I readied myself for a pounce, my right arm dangling limply at my side. I growled at it readied itself for another charge; I wasn't going to wait. Another charge like the last one, and I would be dead. _And the female will be alone..._ The thought was unbearable to me. I had to finish this, now, before my injuries incapacitated me. As the Tank bellowed loudly, I pounced. This time, I landed on it's face. I sank my teeth into the right eye, feeling satisfaction as I pulled out a large chunk of flesh in a shower of blood. My claws ravaged the face by tearing strips of skin and muscles as I bit into the other eye, inciting a deafening unearthly scream from the Tank. It was in such tremendous pain, but I didn't care. The shower of warm blood felt nice as I soaked in it, ignoring my injuries.

_KILL! KILL! KILL!_ I gave a triumphant scream of revenge as the thing collapsed underneath me; I had finally clawed through the muscle to the monster's brain. I sunk my claws down, reveling as the thing finally died. I gave a victorious shriek to the heavens as lighting flashed across the sky again and thunder boomed in my ears. And then the pain returned to me, and I moaned softly. Withdrawing my sticky fingers from the Tank's brain, I crawled off of the corpse, exhausted and weak. _Hide._ I needed to hide. I could hear the survivors now that the Tank was dead, and they were agitated. Pausing, I stopped to listen to the voices, hoping I could hear the female.

_Holy shit! Did you see that? That Hunter killed the Tank! Special infected fighting each other? When did this happen? Where did the Hunter come from?'\_

_'Shut up you idiot! I don't know why the Hunter fought the Tank! We need to kill it now before it kills us!'_

_'I doubt it could kill us. Look at it; it's clearly injured. The right arm is definitely broken. What do you think, Natasha?'_

I growled, suddenly afraid. I could not hear the sound of the female's voice. Was she uninjured? I had to make sure. I gave a loud whimper and started to crawl towards the truck, every movement agonizingly painful. Where was the female?

_'It's coming towards us! What should we do? Gunshots might attract more infected!'_

_'Don't worry, I'll handle this. I'll put that Hunter out of it's misery!'_

I looked at the truck, whining. I wanted, no, I _needed_ to see the female alive and well. I dragged myself another few feet, whimpering softly as my wounds were aggravated. A man left the shelter of the truck, carrying a red ax. I stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. I was going to die like this? I whined softly, stretching my good arm towards the truck. At least, I wanted to see the female before the eternal darkness...

_'NO! Stop! It's Tristan! He was trying to save us!'_

The female! It was the female! She stepped out of the shelter of the truck, perfectly fine except for a small bruise on her left cheek. She dashed towards the man and forced the ax out of his surprised hands. She bent over me, concern and worry etched on her features. I looked up at her, relief spreading through me, and licked her face gently. She was okay. Everything was alright now.

_'What the hell do you mean by this, Natasha? Why are you protecting a Hunter? And who is Tristan?'_

It was no use, I was blacking out. I let my body go limp on the cold, wet ground, and relaxed into the comforting darkness.


	5. Pack

**Chapter 4-Pack**

I awoke to the sound of low voices muttering in the background. From the loud noise of the engine and how the floor seemed to lurch every few seconds, I knew that I was in the back of the truck. _Why?_ I was wrapped in something soft and warm, and I had no desire to open my eyes. Better to feign sleep and wait. My senses straining, I listened to the low voices of the survivors.

_'She's crazy! As soon as our backs are turned, that Hunter will tear us apart! Even with a broken arm, that thing is dangerous! We should put a bullet in it's brain right away!'_

The brown-haired female was angry again; she always seemed to be angry. Her voice carried authority over the survivors; she was clearly exerting her power as Alpha of the group. I shifted a little, feeling her piercing blue gaze focus on my back. She was dangerous; I had to appease her anger before long or feel the consequences.

_'It's waking up! Natasha, get over here and attend to your __**pet**__!'_

The Alpha female made some angry noises, and I heard light footsteps as someone made their way over to my prone body, swaying from side to side as the truck bounced up and down. I could smell her scent; it was the female! She didn't smell of fear or blood, so she was alright. Good.

_'Tristan! Are you awake?'_

At her words, I finally opened my eyes. I was wrapped in the female's white coat, which was why I felt so warm. There was no pain from the wounds I had received from the fight, other than a dull ache in my bones and muscles. Surprised at this, I looked down at my right arm. It had been broken, right? The arm itself was in a kind of sling, fashioned out of strips of cloth and a lot of pink duct tape. I uncurled myself and started to rise, eager to see the female again. Instead, she pushed me back down the ground using a soft but firm hand. Confused, I whined piteously.

_'Tristan, you need to lie down and stay still in order for that arm to heal. Understand?'_

I barely understood her, but I nodded eagerly, hoping desperately that the movement would please her. I let her push me back down, and then gave a low purr as she covered me with the warm lab coat. I shifted a little, trying to get back into a comfortable position, and then I heard the chinking of chains. Panic rose in my chest. Startled, I moved again, pulling up the lab coat to reveal chains wrapped around my legs, effectively paralyzing me. The end of the chain was looped around the railing of the truck, making it impossible to escape. I gave a loud whimper, suddenly terrified. I couldn't escape. I reached down with my good arm and tugged at the chains, looking at the female with a moan. Her face looked sad, but she wasn't going to help me. Behind her, I could see the Alpha female standing with a smirk on her face as she saw me rattle the chains. She leaned against the side of the truck, unaffected by the truck's bumpy ride. Near her left hand was a gun; a firestick that could kill me in one blow. Next to her was another survivor; a male this time, with short, shaggy blonde hair and deep brown eyes. He too was leaning against the truck, but he looked like he was about to puke. His hands were clenched around his own firestick; a smaller one, but with the same deadly power. I shivered at the sight of them. The other two survivors were in the front of the truck, driving us all to an unknown destination. The sky above was still dark and ominous, and I could tell more rain was on the way.

_'I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. The others wouldn't let me stay with them unless you were tied up.'_

I gave another whimper at her words, suddenly hurt. Was she choosing the other humans over me? No, that wasn't possible. The female would never do that! I looked up at her, worried. _Would she abandon me?_ My hood partly slid off, and I saw my own sickly yellow eyes reflected back at me in her green eyes. I looked disgusting. I turned my head away, tears spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. The female gasped as she saw my tears, and then gently lifted my torso up into the a gentle hug. I could smell her scent; it was warm and comforting. The Hunter's instincts were pushed to the back of my mind, and I let her hug me, feeling the pain ease away...

_'Oy! Natasha! What are you doing? You'll get sick hugging that beast!'_

I growled loudly, angered by the Alpha female's words. How dare she call me that, with her firestick close at hand! I snarled at the Alpha female, challenging her. I flexed my claws, tensing up. My right arm started to hurt again but I ignored it. I wanted to tear the Alpha female apart and revel in the blood and gore, just like before...

_'Val,__enough__! Tristan can understand you! Can't you see he's upset?'_

The Alpha female snorted loudly, and I started hissing in discomfort. What could I do? _Hide? No, can'thide. Can'tmove. Badbadbad._  
And then I felt arms wrap around me again, and the female's scent overwhelmed me. It felt nice, so very nice. I stopped hissing and gave a small growl of joy. The female would never treat me like a monster; I knew that now. I purred softly, and licked the female's cheek gently. All doubt was gone now, erased as if it had never existed.

_'Now, lie back down and get some sleep. We've got a long journey ahead of us.'_

The arms withdrew, and I lay back down on the hard floor of the truck, my right arm throbbing with tiny amounts of pain. The female would watch over me if I slept; she was pack now. A sister, even. _Good, good. Protectpackandpackprotectme. Everythinggood. _I closed my eyes and fell into slumber again.

Rain woke me. It was darker when I opened my eyes, but my vision quickly readjusted to the new lighting. As a Hunter, my eyes were suited to the dark. I turned my head slightly, and then shifted so that I was no longer facing the back of the truck, but instead looking at the survivors. All three were huddled under a large umbrella, which kept the rain off quite nicely. I whimpered softly; the lab coat was soaked through, and I was freezing cold. Shivering, I sat up, startling a gasp out of the male survivor. The Alpha female jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow to stifle his gasp, but I still heard it. My right arm was aching again, and my ribs hurt as well. I ignored this for a few moments and searched for the female, positioned behind the two other survivors. Her eyes were closed, and if I concentrated hard enough, I could hear her soft breathing. She was asleep. It was my turn to watch over the pack.

_'Act like wolves, don't they? My uncle Keith studied wolves for all of his life; taught me a few things about them.'_

_'Shut up, Charlie. I don't want you getting friendly with that Hunter.'_

_'Who put you in charge, Val? Last time I checked, we were all in this together. If the Hunter is going to be a permanent part of our group, we might as well get friendly. It'll do some good.'_

_'You won't find me trying to be friendly with it. The only reason it's here is because Natasha threatened to leave if we tried to kill it. I'm still reconsidering my decision.'_

_'What, and force Natasha out? We need her medical expertise, even if it means having a Hunter for a pet! David's leg is still looking pretty bad, what will happen if his leg gets infected and Natasha's not here because you killed a Hunter that saved us from a Tank? Do you want to take that chance, Val?'_

I only half-listened to the conversation the two were having; I was on high alert. Protecting the pack was a serious duty for any member, and I had to watch out for dangerous sights and scents. We were passing through the forest currently, following a well-paved road. It was a dangerous place. The forest was a perfect place for the Longtongues to wrap their tongues around unwary prey and drag them off to where I couldn't reach. I wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway, not with chains binding my legs.  
My thoughts were interrupted by the male survivor, who had left the shelter of the umbrella and started crawling towards me. My eyes widened as I realized that he had also left the firestick behind.

_'Charlie! What are you doing?'_

_'Don't worry Val, my uncle Keith taught me how wolves communicate. You see, Hunters act like wolves in a wolf pack. Maybe I can get this Hunter to accept me as an equal instead of an enemy.'_

With those words, the male assumed a non-aggressive stance and slowly crawled towards me on all fours. Interesting! The male knew Hunter protocol! I awkwardly rose to greet him as he came closer and closer, still in the non-aggressive stance. He sniffed me, and I sniffed him in return, memorizing his scent. He would be a new pack-mate. I sneezed, and he flinched for a moment, giving away a moment of weakness and fear. I growled at him, and he growled right back, not backing up or flinching away. He was not afraid of me. Satisfied, I licked his cheek and then lightly lunged at him. A new pack member! A brother!  
The male gave a small yelp as I landed on him, and then he started to tussle with me. It was merely play; I never used my claws or fangs to break his skin. Still, the Alpha female gave a loud cry and pointed her firestick straight at me. I yelped and untangled myself from the male, backing away as quickly as I could under her cold, blue eyes.

_'Relax, Val. He accepts me as an equal, and we were just tussling. The wolves do it all the time. He never bit me or clawed me, see?'_

The male crawled back to the female, making soothing noises as he did so. The female lowered the firestick, and I relaxed again.

_'Now, Val, you gotta approach him without your gun. This could be beneficial to us!'_

I stared as my new pack-mate spoke to the other female, gesturing with his arms towards me. He was a part of the pack, but there was no Alpha, other than the Alpha female. But she was not part of the pack; I had not accepted her. She would have to challenge me. The human pack-mates were weaker than me; both the human and Hunter part of my mind knew this. For a few more minutes, there were whispers exchanged between the male and the female. I ignored them, my senses alert for infected and Longtongues. Then Alpha female stood up, anger apparent on her features, and started towards me. Halfway there she dropped down to her hands and knees and crawled towards me. She was very, very angry. I growled at her, challenging her. Instead of backing away, as I thought she would, the female instead came closer, growling back. She was not afraid of me; she was exerting dominance and confidence. I took a swipe at her, testing the waters. She swiped right back at me, and then lunged. Caught by surprise, I was pinned underneath her heavy body as her piercing blue eyes stared straight into mine. She growled again, this time louder, proving her point. She was Alpha. I whimpered softly at her, and the male let out a laugh.

_'Val, he's backing down! He's submitting! He accepts you as Alpha now, so you can get off of him. Now, don't show any weakness in front of him, and he won't bother you. Hell, he'll even obey you if you get him to understand what you want! Good job!'_

The new Alpha rose up off of me, and I assumed a submissive position at her feet, not daring to meet her eyes. The fierceness of the Alpha female had surprised me. I had not expected her show of dominance. I whimpered again, and then the Alpha turned away and crawled back under the umbrella.  
The rain drove down on us harder, but I didn't care. I was filled with a joyous feeling. I had a pack now, and pack-mates who would protect me. We had a pack!


	6. Failure

**Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter I have saved on my computer. Look forward to more chapters in the future!**

**~x~**

**Chapter 5-Failure**

I opened my eyes to the strange sensation of my hair being petted. It was quite nice, really, and I gave a low purr, still half-asleep. I had been dozing for about an hour now, thanks to my internal clock. My watch duty was over. I heard a dry chuckle above my head as someone continued to pet my hair, and my purr deepened. It was such a soothing feeling, and the person's hands were warm. Was it the female who was petting me? I could smell her now; yes, it was! I relaxed, continuing to purr loudly. I was safe with my pack. _Warm?Yeswarmfeelsnicewarmhand. Sound? New sound? Badsound? Coughcoughwheezewheeze?_

I sat bolt upright, my senses on high alert, the peaceful feelings forgotten. I could smell the scent of that foul smoke, and hear the coughing off in the forest. _LONGTONGUE!_

The female looked at me, fear and confusion evident in her face. The truck had stopped to refuel at a roadside gas station, which was abandoned due to the infection. There had been a few common infected, something the weaker humanpack could handle easily with their firesticks. I rose from where I had been laying on the female's lap, every muscle tensing. The humanpack continued as normal, leaning and enjoying the weak rays of sunlight that had managed to break through the cloud cover. I growled loudly, uncomfortable. Where was the Longtongue?

The female screamed as the long, sickly tongue wrapped around her torso, yanking her back into the trees. I screamed with fury, unable to do a thing but strain against my chains and watch as the precious female was dragged into the trees. I started to salivate wildly as I struggled, twisting and turning as I tried to free myself. _Nono!Couldn'!_

It was no use I couldn't get free! Snarling, I tried to bite at the chains, still struggling as I heard the female's scream die off. Have to help her? And then, the Alpha came over and produced a tiny stick, which she inserted into the padlock holding the chains. I was free! _Whyfree?No,havetosavefemale!Femaledangerneedtoprotect!_

Without wasting time, I crouched down and then pounced off of the truck, easily landing in the forest a hundred feet away. Shrieking a hunting cry into the silent forest, I followed the female's fear scent easily. Rage burned inside me, a pent up anger accumulating from constantly suppressing the Hunter's feral mind and a desire to simply kill, to sink my claws into prey and rip it to shreds, feasting on the gore and blood. The killing was the best part; but no, nonononono I was getting confused. _Havetosavefemale!Nohuntnopreyyet!_

A headache started to develop in the back of my head, painful and constant. I ignored it; I could hear the coughcoughwheezewheeze sounds of the Longtongue as well as the pained gasps of the female. I gave another shriek, and this time the Longtongue answered with a loud gargle. It was nearby I could hear it! I leapt from tree to tree, easily covering the distance quickly. And there it was! The female was dangling from a thirty-foot tree, her hands clutching the tongue as it slowly squeezed the life out of her. The Longtongue wheezed and coughed a greeting towards me; a fellow infected, but I ignored it. I tensed, and then pounced on top of the Longtongue, knocking it off the tree branch and severing the tongue. The female dropped to the ground and began to cough loudly as breath returned to her lungs, but that wasn't my focus. I was in the thrill of the hunt, and the Longtongue was my prey as I landed on top of it and began to get to work. The Longuetongue's blood was splashed onto my clothes, so that it now covered the blood of the Behemoth. I felt my claws dig under the strange tumors that grew on it's face and rip open the skin, bringing up green-red-black blood that tasted foul. I growled loudly at this; I was hungry. The Longuetongue was coughing at me again, feebly struggling. The smoke it produced was making me feel woozy, which only fueled my hunting rage. I bent down and sank my fangs into the soft flesh of the throat, biting down hard. I felt the Longtongue scream and gasp in pain, and I bit harder, letting it struggle. I would have the meal soon enough. I tore apart it's stomach with my claws, my fingers hooking on the entrails and flinging them away from the body in a shower of gore. The killing; it felt so good, so addicting. _Yesyesyesdelicious,tastyprey._ Satisfied, I let the Longtongue be for a moment, pathetically gurgling at me before I leaned down and tore out the throat in one simple movement. The green-red-black blood spewed out of the wound, showering me in a bloody stream of gore before the infected creature finally died. My stomach growled, and I leaned down, forgetting the female for a moment while I satisfied my hunger with the blissful flesh and blood of the Longtongue.

I swiped my tongue across my lips, feeling full after the gruesome meal. The killing… was exquisite, a feeling I could never tire of. All my anger had been siphoned away, and my mind was blank. Maybe I would go find a place and make a temporary nest, under the protection of the humanpack. I froze at this thought. The humanpack… the female! Whimpering, I frantically searched for the female. There she was, still underneath the tree where I had knocked the Longtongue down. She had not moved at all, and I was worried. I nosed her, butting my head against, trying to get her to move or respond. Her eyes remained closed, and she did not respond. My eyes widened, and I let loose a howl of sadness that echoed throughout the forest.

It was my fault, all my fault. I circled the female, whimpering, silently begging her to open her eyes, to move. She smelled of deadprey, the scent of prey after a killing. I licked her cheek, tears starting to fall from my eyes again. Was she dead? I paused, staring at her intently. I could just barely make out the movement of her chest. Alive? Femalealive? I rushed closer; yes, I could hear it, the beating of her heart! The female was alive! But she needed the humanpack with their clever hands to take care of her. She needed healing. Growling softly, I hoisted the woman onto my back, swaying precariously. I couldn't pounce the shock would injure the female further. I had to carry her on foot. Wrapping her arms around my neck, I started to crawl towards the humanpack, howling as I did so. It was duty to protect the female, and I had failed to do so.


	7. In the End

**Author's Note: No, this is not the end of the fanfiction. The title is inspired by a song from a band I am a fan of. Don't worry, I'll be bringing more misery- er, I mean, entertainment.**

**~x~**

I could smell the humanpack right up ahead, their fearsmell blown towards me by the wind. The female was not saved despite the fact that she still breathed. The coverings on her back and legs were torn to shreds and bloody, with multitudes of lacerations on the back of her legs, her back, and even her neck. When she breathed in or out, every breath was followed by a bloody cough and a hack. I knew that something was wrong _inside_ of her, but there was nothing I could do. Only the humanpack could save her now. I leapt through the trees, my body fueled by the adrenaline caused by my panic. The female coughed again, and I smelled fresh blood on my coverings. I picked up the pace, heedlessly crashing through stray branches, intent on only reaching the humanpack. I could only focus on the next tree branch to leap off of, and the next, and the next… But when I landed on the smooth trunk of the tree, my legs simply… collapsed.

Driven by my momentum, I fell, screeching, to the thick forest floor, landing heavily on the undergrowth. My head came in contact with a rock, and my vision blacked out for a minute. My body ached with pain already as previous wounds from the Behemoth were opened up again. I knew that inside me as well something was wrong. My legs were in such pain, how had I not noticed it before? I had been too busy considering the female, and my status with the humanpack… I growled to myself, anger rising up inside of me. Why had I cared about them? _They are as weak as prey, even Alphafemale. Weakweakweakweak. Why?_ Groaning, I slowly rose up, covered in dirt and blood and leaves as I did so. The female had fallen away from me, and she was lying on her back in the soft dirt, thankfully still breathing. Her eyes were open now, but she was staring blankly up at the sky. I could smell the _killprey_ scent on her, the scent of death. But still! Thanks to her, I had regained a small part of humanity that had been lost when I had been taken over by the infection. I had remembered my name, even if I could remember nothing else: Tristan.

A small moan from the female brought me to her side, dragging myself across the leaf-strewn ground. She turned her head, and I saw there was blood pooling from a previously unseen wound on the back of her head. It was fatal; this I could tell. The female looked up into the overcast sky, her green eyes reflecting back their gray surface. She gave one last, shuddering breath, and then she became still. All light in those vibrant green eyes dimmed, and then faded. She smelled of nothing but dead prey now; there was no lingering scent of her warmth. I tipped my head back and howled my misery and pain to the sky, letting the noise go on and on until the last noise was ripped from my throat as I ran out of air. Panting, I tried to fall into a crouch, only to shriek a little in agony as my legs refused to budge. They were hurting beyond reason, and I simply collapsed onto the ground, my body filled with pain. But still, nothing could compare to the feeling in my chest, as if something important, something vitally important, had been ripped out. It was something I had never experience before, and now I was sure I never wanted to experience it again. I rested my head on the earth now wet with my blood and waited for something to happen.

I heard the noises of the humanpack drawing closer and closer, but I wasn't motivated to even move. I stared up at the dark sky, half-hidden by the forest foliage, waiting. My entire purpose, the one I had fooled myself into believing would keep me human, was erased. The female was dead. In the end, it didn't even matter what I had done. All was lost.

'_What the hell happened here?'_

'_Natasha! She's dead! Did the Smoker kill her? Is the Hunter dead?'_

I lifted my head weakly, looking up at the humanpack. Would they help me? My legs felt like lead, heavy and useless.

'_Leave it. Search her body; she may have something we need.'_

'_Val!'_

_'What? She's dead, and we're sitting ducks in the middle of the woods here! I know it's hard, but we have to keep on going! I can't take care of an injured Hunter AND a dead corpse! We'll take her back for a burial, but the infected stays here. It'll attract all infected nearby with it's shrieks and cries.'_

The Alphafemale started towards the female's corpse, but I snarled loudly, shakily pulling myself to my feet. She would not touch that corpse! I swiped at her, slashing through the fabric of her coverings and causing her to yelp in surprise and stumble back. I growled, trying to steady my shaking body and show no weakness.

'_Val! Did it get you? Are you hurt?'_

I flinched as three firesticks were suddenly leveled against me, but I stared impassively at the long black sticks, trying to stay on my feet. My humanpack was threatening me with their firesticks! _They're not pack! Pack never kills others!_ I snarled again, revealing my full set of bloodstained fangs. The female was cursing under her breath; this I could understand. I felt betrayed; the feeling of having something vitally important ripped out was present again. Why, why had I let my human mind prevail? In the end, nothing good had come of it.

_'What's wrong with it? Charlie, I thought you said that thing was tamed! It tore my jeans up but it didn't draw blood, thank the heavens. It's not safe to keep this thing alive, and it's blocking access to Natasha. I, for one, don't want to leave her here for the infected to feast on. She's coming with us!'_

The nolongerAlphafemale started forward again, holding her firestick up as well. I snarled again, and then tried to lunge forward. However, my legs, weak as they were, were out of energy, and I simply face-planted into a pile of dirt and leaves. Spluttering, I heard the small click as the firestick was prepped. _Betrayal!_

There was a loud bang, and the smell of dirt and leaves faded with my vision.


End file.
